Three words: You.Better.Werk. RuPaul has been inspiring us to be fierce and fabulous since the ’80’s, even though many of us didn’t catch wind until the early ’90’s. Either way, this little piece of advice isn’t the only jewel RuPaul had for us. Check out some of RuPaul’s most inspiring quotes on the following pages.
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“What other people think of you is none of your business.”
How brilliant. It’s only human nature for us to worry about how we’re being perceived by people in the world around us. But really, at the end of the day the best way to stay stagnant and stressed out is to worry what other people think about you. The people who are really about our best interests, will actually take the time to tell us if they have constructive suggestions for us to improve ourselves.
“If you can’t love yourself how in the hell you gonna love somebody else.”
Amen! There are a lot of people with severe self esteem/self loathing issues attempting to be in relationships. Womp. Know that until you love yourself, any type of relationship that requires love of another person will be doomed from the start. If you don’t believe Ru, know that Maya Angelou said something very similar: “I do not trust people who don’t love themselves and yet tell me, ‘I love you.’ There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a unclothed person offers you a shirt.”
Know that there is a difference. Both are mean but one is almost diabolical and that’s not cute.
“Look at me — a big old black man under all of this makeup, and if I can look beautiful, so can you.”
When you’re having an off day, think of how Ru transforms himself from an average-looking man into a glamazon who could put most women to shame. Being that many of us were born women, think of the huge advantage you have. Now all you have to do is learn the tricks to look fabulous. Easier said than done, but it’s certainly not impossible.
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“When you become the image of your own imagination, it’s the most powerful thing you could ever do.”
Many of us have dreams of the people we want to be, the things we want to do etc. But for one reason or another, some of us never realize those goals. But for those of us who do, know that we’ve tapped into a supernatural, divine type of power and that’s something to be proud of.
Even though RuPaul is a part of the media now with his hit show, “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” he warns us of the dangers of consuming the wrong type of media as too much of it can lead to a very negative self image.
“Be very careful of what you allow to infiltrate your consciousness and subconsciousness. When you watch too much television, you’ll start to feel inferior from all the commercials hard selling the idea that you’re not complete unless you buy their product […] The ad agencies appeal to your fear of not being wanted or loved. It’s the same with the local news. They get you to stay tuned with a constant stream of fear tactics […] It’s as if our culture is addicted to fear and the flat screen is our drug dealer. Don’t allow that crap into your head!”
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RuPaul has some pretty good insight on friendships and how you know when it’s time to get rid of a toxic frenemy.
“My attitude toward friendship has remained the same. I will support and encourage you with all the love in my heart, but if it’s not reciprocal, I gotta go […] If your friends are bitter about your success to the extent that they act out, don’t expect them to change […] Move on.”
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If you thought drag was shallow and superficial think again. For RuPaul it’s just an exaggeration of the artificial beauty we consume on a daily basis.
“My public image is the deconstruction of the commercial concept of beauty, an amalgamation of mental snapshots I’ve collected since childhood… one part Diana, two parts Cher and a heaping spoonful of Dolly. Early on, I learned that beauty in the commercial sense is superficial, fake and plastic.”
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If you’re wondering why your relationships tend to leave you drained and stressed out, RuPaul has some advice on how your perceptions might be the root of all this.
“Expectations lead to resentments and when you allow people to just be themselves the relationship can really grow”
And lastly, when life gets you down, it’s okay to acknowledge the sadness and feelings of despair but it’s very important that you don’t allow yourself to linger and wallow in it. You’ve got to keep moving.
“I’ve learned to look at the dark nights, but not to stare.”
